REVIEW: Green Lantern #13

by Thomas J. Angelo

As not only the newest in a strong line of legacy characters but also arguably the most prominent Muslim hero in comics today, Green Lantern Simon Baz has a lot to live up to. Issue 13 kicks off the new hero’s adventures in the New 52. Is the book worth picking up? Dig deeper, dear reader, as Major Spoilers takes a look at GREEN LANTERN #13…

Previously in GREEN LANTERN: Last month’s zero issue introduced the newest member of the Green Lantern Corps, Simon Baz. Baz’s major character trait thus far has been the fact that he is a Muslim who grew up in a post 9/11 America, where he was subject to racism due to the paranoia that gripped the nation. After stealing a car that coincidentally was armed with a bomb, Baz was thrown into Gitmo where a Green Lantern power ring sought him out and made him the next protector of Sector 2814.

JOHNS KEEPS THE PLATES SPINNING

There is a lot happening in Green Lantern these days. The Third Army is rising, the Oan guardians are insane, and Hal Jordan and Sinestro have both “died.” Throw in Simon Baz and his character arc and there is a risk that the series will lose its way. For the most part, Geoff Johns is successful in scripting a book that seems to have a clear story to tell. We see the Third Army arrive on Earth, and they look to be pretty fearsome. We also get a really cool moment with the psyches of Hal and Sinestro struggling for dominance within the power ring entrusted to Baz. Just enough attention is given to these moments so as to keep the focus on the characterization of Baz, which I feel is a smart move. Introducing the newest Green Lantern’s supporting cast was a smart move, as it helps readers identify with Baz and makes him both human and relatable.

I am a bit nervous that the entirety of Baz’s tenure as a lantern is going to be focusing on Muslim vs. non-Muslim relationships. On the surface, that’s actually a pretty good place to explore. Nine-eleven did change America and the Muslims that live in the country no doubt went through a lot as they tried to maintain the trust of their neighbors. So why am I nervous about this story? Well, if Johns is trying to make Baz sympathetic, why did he make him a car thief? To me this is a big problem. Why couldn’t Baz be a teacher or a cubicle-dweller? The relationship between Islam and white America could still be explored, and the protagonist could be seen as a bit more, I don’t know, trustworthy. On the good side, Johns does spend a lot of time with Baz’s sister, who is trying to lead a good life but still has to deal with racism and paranoia…and that makes her all the more interesting of a character.

GREAT CHARACTER DESIGNS

The action we get in this issue looks fine I suppose, but I really want to hand it to Doug Mahnke for his character designs. I really like the new GL armor, and the Third Army critters that drop in late in the issue are pretty spooky. These characters look great, but Mahnke leaves me wanting more on the last page of the issue, a splash with the best-known heroes of the New 52. I can’t wait to see the fallout next issue. Very nice art here!

BOTTOM LINE: NOT AN EXPLOSIVE START, BUT SOLID

It looks like Johns may be opting for the slow building of Baz rather than dropping him right into the middle of a conflict. This seems to indicate that Baz will be here a while, which is fine with me. This issue did a nice job of making me interested in his personal life and wondering where things will go from here. A lot of the material in this issue was already explored in last month’s zero issue, so if you didn’t like the new direction there, you won’t much care for it here. Only hints of greater conflicts are shown this issue. I know I need to be patient, but I’m ready for some action! Simon Baz has all the makings of an interesting character and should be a great addition to the DC mythos. Green Lantern #13 gets an above-average 3.5 stars out of 5.

Rating:

DID YOU READ THIS ISSUE? RATE IT!Reader Rating

(4 votes, average: 3.75 out of 5)

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Thomas J. Angelo has lived life to the fullest since birth and is living proof that people can see their dreams become reality. He has hunted ghosts, been a prison guard, graduated from professional wrestling school, written a novel for young adults, taught middle school Social Studies, and is now a school principal. Writing for Major Spoilers is yet another fantastic adventure. A comic book fan for life, Thomas is a huge fan of Marvel comics and has also jumped into DC’s New 52. In addition to comics, he has an encyclopedic knowledge of WWE trivia and Disney’s animated films.

I see no issue with him being a car thief. I think it’s a great move, actually. As a non-Muslim/Middle Easterner, sure I could find it easy to accept this new character as a non-threatening school teacher or priest. However, by him being in a less than sundry “profession”, the sensitive nature of recent times will cause me to constantly watch and evaluate his progression into a hero.

If there IS some sort of “Hey, They’re OKAY!!!” pro-Muslim/Middle-Easterner message intended, this goes that much further in helping. If I can be more comfortable with not judging someone completely, and being comfortable with where he comes from in life, then how would his being a teacher or doctor even be a thought?

As of yet no. Not even sure a firearm came anywhere near Baz in either issue so far. My guess is that’ll come into play a little later, after the readers got more of a handle on him. It’s a delicate process getting people acclimated to a new character.

As for the costume, I kind of agree. Frankly I don’t understand why he even got a costume different from the standard GL suit. The reason any green lantern has a different suit design is that they made a conscious decision to change it. Baz barely knows what’s going on or what his plan of action will be five minutes in the future, let alone how his costume looks.

I just don’t feel the need for yet another human green lantern. That idea is beat to death. Personally, I think that since they went through all the trouble of bringing Hal Jordan back from the dead they should stick with him. Or they should have rebooted the Green Lanterns with the New 52. Either way I’m not on board with a 5th (or 6th if I count Earth#2) human green lantern.